Legislature should keep eye on ball

April 03, 2007

It's already 2007 but not too late to set goals for the new year. State government should also set some goals. The state Legislature has started its 40-day session. An entire year's state business must be proposed, discussed and acted upon within these 40 days - that's less than two months. Legislators have many functions to carry out in the short time that they are in session. We need to allow them to take care of state business. I hope they can do that in 2007 without spending the majority of their time on moral issues. Legislators in Pierre must make decisions for the entire state - not just for special groups. The state business must involve the infrastructure of our state, such as roads, bridges, railroads and waterways. We must maintain our roads so the economy can continue to grow. Roads and bridges carry tourists across the state, farm products to market and goods and supplies for retail sales. The railroads haul grain to market and tons of coal to power plants that produce our electricity. Our rivers and lakes must be regulated and protected so that we have safe drinking water and they remain a source for electrical energy and recreation. Clean rivers bring tourists and sportsmen to help our economy. The state is responsible for financing K-12 education as well as our state universities. Education is important for all South Dakotans. Economic development is also a big item on the state's agenda. The economy of a state determines how well people live and what type of jobs are available. Economic development also determines how much money the state has to improve its infrastructure to keep the economy rolling. The economy includes tourism, farming, education, manufacturing and many other forms of making a living. Energy is also important. We now have ethanol plants to produce alcohol as a gas additive. These help farmers get a better price for their corn and provide cleaner energy to operate our vehicles. Coal from North Dakota is hauled by railroads to power plants that produce electrical energy. Electrical energy is also produced by power plants on the Missouri River. Wind energy has not become established in South Dakota yet because wind farms must have transmission lines to carry the electricity to suppliers. All this electrical power requires a myriad of transmission lines that must be regulated by the state. Without regulation, those lines could end up everywhere and anywhere. The State Game, Fish, and Parks Department takes care of all our state parks and rest stops along the highways. It provides fish hatcheries to stock our lakes and rivers. GFP employees monitor the wildlife throughout the state to check for disease, predators and population numbers. The state legislators must make and/or amend the laws for this department on a regular basis because nature and wildlife conditions are in a constant state of change. The state must be concerned about the environment, the prison systems, health care, public lands and our relationship with the Native American reservations. Taxation and finances must be discussed. I could find an endless list of jobs for our legislators. Let the state take care of state business and the churches take care of moral issues. Do not use most of those 40 days preoccupied with moral issues, leaving only a handful of days to do the state's business as happened during 2006. I think people spoke loudly through the ballot box last fall. The state should not be regulating our personal lives, but providing guidance and protection of the infrastructure of the state for all people. Lucille Speidel, Aberdeen, is a free-lance writer, artist and an avid gardener. Write to her at the American News, P.O. Box 4430, Aberdeen, SD 57402, or e-mail americannews@aberdeennews.com.